Common misconceptions about Petaluma’s ‘bathtub art’

Five years ago, the Petaluma Public Art Committee selected Brian Goggin’s “Fine Balance” to be a city-commissioned public artwork, setting off a firestorm of controversy that continues to this day.

That controversy, conducted mostly online, has led to several common misconceptions about “Fine Balance” and about public art in general. Below are some of the factual errors or misconceptions that Argus-Courier editors see most often.

No one in Petaluma wants this artwork.

Critics of “Fine Balance” have been highly vocal about it on social media platforms such as Facebook and Nextdoor, giving some people the impression that there is an overwhelming majority against it. But the city’s process does not take social media comments into account — instead, it considers comments submitted via city surveys, meetings and study sessions. And many, though not all, of those comments are supportive of the artwork.

A 2019 Argus-Courier story about City Council approval of “Fine Balance” noted that “Dozens of residents commented at the hearing Monday night, and the split between supporters and opponents was roughly equal.”

It’s a waste of taxpayer money.

Funding for public art in Petaluma is taken from developer fees, not taxes. No taxpayer money has gone into the commission or installation of “Fine Balance.”

The money should go to something else instead, like fixing potholes.

Under a city ordinance, public art funds are earmarked for public art only. They may not be used for street maintenance or any other purpose.

The artist tried to sell this piece elsewhere, but no one wanted it.

Although other art concepts by Brian Goggin have featured bathtubs, those are different artworks. “Fine Balance” is an original artwork designed and constructed by the artist solely for Petaluma.

Rainwater or other things will collect inside the bathtubs.

The bathtubs will be covered with a resin material that looks like water, preventing actual water or anything else from collecting inside them.

People are just going to vandalize or destroy it.

It is a crime to vandalize public property. Anyone caught doing so will be subject to fines and other penalties.

It should be by a Petaluma artist.

Public art in Petaluma is not solely intended to be by Petaluma artists, although it can be. It’s typical for cities with public art programs to commission works from a mix of local and outside artists.

For example, “Woven Stories,” the rock sculpture recently installed at Kenilworth Middle School, was created by Roberto Delgado and Rude Calderón, internationally acclaimed artists from Southern California. Conversely, many artworks by Petaluma artists have been commissioned by other cities.

This art has nothing to do with Petaluma.

Most local artworks — such as David Best’s “River Arch” or the “Cherry Soda” sculpture by the downtown movie theater — are not “about” Petaluma. They are relevant to locals only because they’re here for locals to enjoy.

In the case of “Fine Balance,” Goggin has said his bathtubs were fabricated using molds taken directly from Victorian-era bathtubs used in Petaluma homes. This arguably makes his sculpture more directly connected to Petaluma than some other local artworks.

The Art Committee members should be fired.

Members of the Public Art Committee are volunteers. They give their time as a public service to help the city commission public art projects.